In a many situations it is required to obtain information about the identity of individual for identification purposes. For example, forensic investigations usually need to identify the individual who committed a crime or the victim of the crime. The body or remains of the victim in some cases does not allow for easy identification of the individual. Similarly, in the military, identification of dead and wounded military personnel is also needed.
Forensic science uses a number of methods for identification purposes. An example for such a method includes collection and analysis of crime scene DNA samples and comparing the DNA characteristics of the sample against a DNA sample from a known person. Another identification method includes collecting biometric data (fingerprint) at the crime scene and comparing the collected data to a biometric database that contains already collected fingerprints.
Biometric information can be somewhat effective in tracing the criminal, but it may not be effective in identifying the victim in a situation where no friction ridges remain. The DNA samples may be more robust in this sense, but complex procedures, performed by expert, are required to analyze the DNA samples to obtain details of the potential source of that sample. Thus, it may take a few days until the identification is completed. Further, in both cases, known samples of either biometric or DNA are needed to identify the individual. Thus, as currently there is not a central repository that contains DNA and/or biometric data, these methods of identification may not be practical.
Another simple identification means is an identification tag typically worn by military personnel. This type of tag is usually fabricated from a corrosion-resistant metal or alloy, such as aluminum or stainless-steel, where the individual information is embossed thereon. However, this type of identification tag can be utilized to identify the individual only as long as the tag is attached to the body.
Dental records can also be used for human identification from skeletal remains. However, the dental records of individuals can be used only if such records have been gathered and saved by the individual's dentists. Further, as currently there is no central registry of dental records, there should first be a reasonably accurate sense who the individual is, in order to allow proper identification. That is, an identification process using dental records typically includes examining the skeletal remains to get an idea of age, sex, race, and so on. This information is then checked against a database of missing people, open murder cases, open accident cases, and so on. Once the investigators have a general idea who the body may be, dental records are used to sort among a smaller number of possibilities. Thus, such an identification process may take a long time and in some case may not be practical, as a central repository of all dental records is currently not available.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an efficient and practical individual identification solution for at least the purpose of tracing people and forensic investigations thereof.